US2006178232A1PendingUtilityA1

Golf ball

48
Assignee: OWENS TIMOTHY MPriority: Jan 21, 1997Filed: Oct 19, 2005Published: Aug 10, 2006
Est. expiryJan 21, 2017(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Timothy M. OwensDouglas P. DufauxMark T. ElliottKris H. Turschmid
A63B 37/0062A63B 37/0035A63B 37/0064A63B 37/0054A63B 37/04A63B 37/0003A63B 37/0066A63B 37/0076A63B 2037/085A63B 37/0045A63B 37/0043A63B 37/0075A63B 37/0052A63B 37/0091A63B 37/0056
48
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Claims

Abstract

A golf ball is provided that has a hard sphere core or layer that exhibits a controlled vibrational response. The vibrational response may be controlled by tailoring the stiffness or damping of the sphere with at least one element, such as a groove(s) or any other type of indentation in the hard sphere core. The groove (or grooves) serves to locally reduce the wall thickness of the hollow metal sphere core, thereby reducing the stiffness of the core by allowing larger deformations under a load without significantly reducing the total mass of the core. This results in a golf ball that is legal for play and capable of drive distances essentially equivalent to those of currently available high performance golf balls, but that also maintains a high moment of inertia, allowing less hooks and slices during play.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A golf ball, comprising: 
 a) an outer cover having an outer surface, wherein said outer surface has a dimpled pattern; and    b) a single metal sphere disposed within said outer cover, said metal sphere defining a wall formed of a metal having a thickness of at least 0.02 inches.    
   
   
       2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium and titanium alloys.  
   
   
       3 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and steel alloys.  
   
   
       4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is tungsten.  
   
   
       5 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is aluminum.  
   
   
       6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is molybdenum.  
   
   
       7 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is nickel.  
   
   
       8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metal has a Brinnell hardness of greater than 40.  
   
   
       9 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the single metal sphere comprises two hemispherical portions each formed by stamping, said portions of said sphere being fixedly secured together to form said single sphere.  
   
   
       10 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the single metal sphere comprises two hemispherical portions each formed by superplastic forming, said portions of said sphere being fixedly secured together to form said single sphere.  
   
   
       11 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the single metal sphere comprises two spherical portions each formed by metal spinning, said portions of said sphere being fixedly secured together to form said single sphere.  
   
   
       12 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said portions of said sphere are fixedly secured together by welding.  
   
   
       13 . The golf ball of  claim 12 , wherein said welding is electron beam welding.  
   
   
       14 . The golf ball of  claim 12 , wherein said welding is laser welding.  
   
   
       15 . The golf ball of  claim 12 , wherein said welding is electrical resistance welding.  
   
   
       16 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said portions of said sphere are fixedly secured together by glueing.  
   
   
       17 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein said portions of said sphere are fixedly secured together by welding.  
   
   
       18 . The golf ball of  claim 17 , wherein said welding is electron beam welding.  
   
   
       19 . The golf ball of  claim 17 , wherein said welding is laser welding.  
   
   
       20 . The golf ball of  claim 17  wherein said welding is electrical resistance welding.  
   
   
       21 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein said portions of said sphere are fixedly secured together by glueing.  
   
   
       22 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein said portions of said sphere are fixedly secured together by welding.  
   
   
       23 . The golf ball of  claim 22 , wherein said welding is electron beam welding.  
   
   
       24 . The golf ball of  claim 22 , wherein said welding is laser welding.  
   
   
       25 . The golf ball of  claim 22 , wherein said welding is electrical resistance welding.  
   
   
       26 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein said portions of said sphere are fixedly secured together by glueing.  
   
   
       27 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein said metal sphere contains a liquid material.  
   
   
       28 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein said metal sphere contains a solid material.  
   
   
       29 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein said metal sphere contains a gas.  
   
   
       30 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , having a moment of inertia in the range of from about 77 gcm 2  to about 105 gcm 2 .  
   
   
       31 . The modern golf ball of  claim 1 , having a moment of inertia in the range of from about 81.6 gcm 2  to about 103.2 gcm 2 .  
   
   
       32 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , having a moment of inertia of about 82.8 gcm 2 .  
   
   
       33 . The golf ball, comprising: 
 (a) a one-piece metal sphere formed by welding two spherical metal portions together to define a hollow portion within said metal sphere; and    (b) a cover layer surrounding said one-piece metal sphere.    
   
   
       34 . The golf ball of  claim 33 , wherein said one-piece metal sphere has an outside diameter of from about 0.39 to about 1.5 inches.  
   
   
       35 . The golf ball of  claim 33 , wherein said welding is electron beam welding.  
   
   
       36 . The golf ball of  claim 33 , wherein said welding is laser welding.  
   
   
       37 . The golf ball of  claim 33 , wherein said welding is electrical resistance welding.  
   
   
       38 . The golf ball of  claim 33 , wherein said hollow portion contains a gas.  
   
   
       39 . The golf ball of  claim 33 , wherein said hollow portion contains a solid material.  
   
   
       40 . The golf ball of  claim 33 , wherein said hollow portion contains a liquid material.  
   
   
       41 . The golf ball of  claim 33 , wherein said spherical metal portions are formed by stamping.  
   
   
       42 . The golf ball of  claim 33  wherein said spherical metal portions are formed by superplastic forming.  
   
   
       43 . The golf ball of  claim 33 ,wherein said spherical metal portions are formed by metal spinning.  
   
   
       44 . A golf ball comprising: 
 (a) a one-piece metal sphere formed by welding two spherical metal portions together to define a hollow portion within said metal sphere; and    (b) a second layer surrounding said one-piece metal sphere.    
   
   
       45 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said one-piece metal sphere has a diameter of from about 0.39 to about 1.5 inches.  
   
   
       46 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said one-piece metal sphere has a thickness of at least 0.02 inches.  
   
   
       47 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said welding is electron beam welding.  
   
   
       48 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said welding is laser welding.  
   
   
       49 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said welding is electrical resistance welding.  
   
   
       50 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said hollow portion contains a gas.  
   
   
       51 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said hollow portion contains a solid material.  
   
   
       52 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said hollow portion contains a liquid material.  
   
   
       53 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said spherical metal portions are formed by stamping.  
   
   
       54 . The golf ball of  claim 44 , wherein said spherical metal portions are formed by superplastic forming.  
   
   
       55 . The golf ball of  claim 44  wherein said spherical metal portions are formed by metal spinning.  
   
   
       56 . A golfball comprising a metal hollow sphere, wherein the hollow has a diameter in the range of from about 0.19 inches to about 1.374 inches.  
   
   
       57 . The golfball of  claim 56 , wherein the hollow has a diameter in the range of from about 0.9 inches to about 1.0 inch.  
   
   
       58 . The golfball of  claim 57 , wherein the hollow has a diameter of about 0.958 inches.  
   
   
       59 . A golfball comprising a hollow metal sphere having a moment of inertia in the range of from about 77 gcm 2  to about 105 gcm 2 .  
   
   
       60 . The golfball of  claim 58 , having a moment of inertia in the range of from about 81.6 gcm 2  to about 103.2 gcm 2 .  
   
   
       61 . The golfball of  claim 58 , having a moment of inertia of about 82.8 gcm 2 .

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